The latter catchphrase is particular interesting, as it became the show's
signature line. They even got then-President Nixon to utter the phrase in
Episode #15 ("Sock it... to me?!!") The running gag was that anybody
who uttered the phrase would end up splashed with a bucket of water, hit by a
punching bag, smacked by a giant caveman club, dropped through a trapdoor, or
pelted with ping-pong balls. Usually, the victim ended up being Judy Carne, who
would utter the line nervously while peering around in expectation of the
imminent violent outcome. Poor girl. No wonder she left the show after two
seasons.

Many of the show's recurring bits became television legend. The "Cocktail
Party" routine always got the show started. A room full of brightly-garbed (and
sometimes scantily clad) young ladies along a gaggle of goofy guys would swing
and gyrate to some bouncy, pseudo-rock/pseudo-swing music, with the music and
dancing suddenly stopping so various characters could utter their zingers and
one-liners, to varying degrees of hilarity. At the end of the show, the cast
would say goodbye to their audience with "The Joke Wall." With the entire group
behind the wall, each cast member would open up a panel revealing their face,
during which time they would... um, utter their zingers and one-liners, to
varying degrees of hilarity. Between the opening and ending were a rapid-fire
succession of quick sketches, comedy bits, comical musical numbers, quick
reaction shots from a host of guest stars, and the... um, utterance of zingers
and one-liners, to varying degrees of hilarity.

I think you're getting the point by now.

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In is certainly dated in too many
ways. The jokes, the sensibilities, the smoking (!), the fashions, the music,
and the overall style of the show is firmly rooted in the late 60s/early 70s.
But it works, and it works brilliantly. I won't profess to get every Spiro T.
Agnew or Hubert Humphrey reference, but it's barely necessary to appreciate this
show. Created and produced by George Schlatter, Laugh-In's zany
style and quick wit influenced dozens of shows that emerged in the decades to
come, including Saturday Night Live, Sesame Street, and,
unfortunately, scores of those horrific "variety shows" that plagued the
landscape of 1970s television. But you can't throw the baby out with the
bathwater, and this baby needs to be seen and appreciated by both old fans and a
new generation of people who revel in silliness. Thankfully, Rhino's release of
The Best of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In on
DVDis like a quick shot of Vitamin E... in your... um...
sweet bippy.

The following six shows are included in this set:

Disc One:

Show #3: February 5, 1968

Show #9: March 25, 1968

Disc Two:

Show #15: September 16, 1968

Show #60: February 2, 1970

Disc Three:

Show #32: February 3, 1969

Show #61: February 9, 1970

The DVD

Video:Allow me to be
perfectly blunt, folks: The Best of Rowan & Martin's
Laugh-In showcases videotaped television that aired upwards of
thirty-five years ago. Thus, reasonable expectations must be engendered
when rating the video on this DVD. That having been said, the video
presentation on the DVD is absolutely wonderful... for thirty-five year
old television videotape. Colors are relatively stable, occasionally
oversaturated and bleeding, with some unnatural looking fleshtones. Some visible
magnetic noise is also present. The transfer is extremely clean, with a lack of
compression noise or other pesky telltale artifacts. There is definite ringing
and shimmering around light sources, as well as some visible ghosting. Sharpness
levels are varying throughout, with decent detail in some scenes and some
softness in many others. Now here's the important thing to remember: all of
these complaints are due to the age and limitations of the original source
material. In other words, the video on this DVD is a fine presentation of
limited material. I highly doubt it could look much better than it
does.

Audio:The audio is showcased in monaural Dolby Digital 2.0,
and is fairly unremarkable other than to say that the material is well served.
Dialog comes across naturally if a little boxy, lacking discernable hiss, noise,
or distortion. Music and orchestrations seem fine, if again of limited fidelity.

Extras:Each disc in the three-disc set contains an interview
with one of Laugh-In'scast members. Disc One
contains a twenty-one minute Interview with Gary Owens, Disc Two's
Interview with Ruth Buzzi runs for twenty-four minutes, and
Disc Three's Interview with Arte Johnson goes the distance at a full
twenty-five minutes. All three cast members discuss their history with the show:
where they were before the show started, their feelings on the show, their
roles, and its production, and how it affected their career afterwards. Gary
Owens has the greatest voice, ever. I could listen to him read the phone
book and find it intriguing. I was also surprised by Buzzi's revelation that she
wasn't too enamored of her beloved Gladys character, but given Glady's
one-dimensional nature I can certainly understand why. Arte spends considerably
time discussing how his musical training and multicultural neighborhood assisted
him in the perfection of his various dialects. For fans of the show, these
interviews are such a treat and extremely enjoyable.

The box set also comes with two interesting
features: a fascinating and lengthy essay by creator George Schlatter, as well
as a very creatively-designed miniature fold-out "Joke Wall" embedded
into the packaging.

Final Thoughts

Finally, I understand all of the references
contained in the classic "The Simpsons Smile-Time Variety Hour" bit. In any
case, I enjoyed every last moment I spent with The Best of Rowan &
Martin's Laugh-In, a fine collection of television hilarity on DVD as
I've ever reviewed. Some fans might be wondering where are the "Seasonal" box
sets of Laugh-In, instead of this collection of "Best-Of" shows
(more "Best-Of" volumes are coming in the future.) I would imagine it's a matter
of reasonable expectations of the demand for this series; since
Laugh-In is not episodic situational-comedy, I suppose the
yearning for the series in chronological order isn't quite as clamorous as it is
for, say, something like M.A.S.H. or All In The Family.

Rhino's DVD collection of The Best of Rowan
& Martin's Laugh-In is certainly an enjoyable way to spend upwards
of five hours in stitches. Perhaps the humor isn't for everyone, which is why I
give this set a mild Recommended rating rather than a strong Rent It. Surely
humor is subjective, but only the very interesting Laugh-In
really socks it to ya... and you can bet your sweet bippy on
it!